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I wonder if HP actually helped to drive this:1. Both are a part of the WB license.2. Both have a "children's" set of stories (HP 1-4; The Hobbit) and an "older" set of stories (HP 5-7; LOTR)3. Both series cross generations. I read LOTR in grade school and as an adult. I also remember seeing many other adults reading HP (didn't they even have an adult cover version for the UK?).4. The last series of HP sets, along with the Tt games, seem to have sold very well.

So, this seems like a similar partnership. I hope that it works well.Also, I am guessing that a Tt game is in the works, given the WB license history.

Finally, as someone else mentioned. I wonder what they will use for The Rings? Some kind of bracelets? The minifigs have no fingers, which seems to be the one issue to me when considering a storyline focused on Rings of Power.EDIT: Or maybe they will try to avoid actually dealing with a ring at all and just have a print of it on Frodo's necklace (and just say it is in Bilbo's pocket)!

OK. Please can anyone suggest how we can budget for next year for Tolkien themes alone. Is £1000/$1400 too little?

Also: I was not impressed how MF dominated some Star Wars sets became. I respect the collectable end of the hobby but perhaps the CMF bags would suit licensed themes for MF collectors and get some more bricks back in to the standard sets to justify the over population of MFs to buildings and settings.

Or perhaps I'm just sore that MF collectors pillage sets and sell them on minus MFs?

TLG are not allowed to sell SW minifigs as standalone products, this is due to licence restrictions in place as a result of Hasbro having an exclusive licence on SW action figures. This is the reason why all magnet sets are now glued. Not sure if similar restrictions would be in place for other licences but it seems likely that they would.

Finally, as someone else mentioned. I wonder what they will use for The Rings? Some kind of bracelets? The minifigs have no fingers, which seems to be the one issue to me when considering a storyline focused on Rings of Power.EDIT: Or maybe they will try to avoid actually dealing with a ring at all and just have a print of it on Frodo's necklace (and just say it is in Bilbo's pocket)!

I imagine they will mould something along the lines of the ring lego frodo is holding in the teaser poster?

^ I agree about Harry Potter. I was annoyed that they even bothered with a Hogwarts set. Don't even try it unless it's going to be a 5000-piece juggernaut. The interior of the school was so sublimely magical and the sets didn't capture any of that.

I saw the article on my FB account last night. And I wonder what kind of Lego original sets they'll market with rehashed parts exclusive to the LOTR series. Just how the made PQ out of Indie Jones. Or they can keep us speculating with what new minifig series they'll spawn.

My wife will actually want me to buy Lego next year since she loves LOTR. Some sets may even be acceptable as gifts for her.

I think this theme will rival the popularity of Star Wars. If so, this could lead to a very large set that to replace the Death Star. Still, I hope TLG will still find room for original Castle themed sets too.

2012 licensed themes then seem to be:Star WarsSuperheroesLord of the Rings/HobbitCars (anything past the early wave?)

seems about right, there were 4 in 2011 as well:Star WarsPirates of the CaribbeanCarsHarry Potter

SpongeBob, Winnie the Pooh, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter continue in 2012. Not to mention new Disney Princess license (will start with Duplo, but without a doubt reach System). And SuperHeroes is multiple licenses across Warner Brothers (DC) and Disney (Marvel) characters, not one character license.

I'll disagree with the clairvoyants....I say PotC and Harry are gonzo. I don't really count Spongebob since there are only ever a couple sets nor do I include any of the Duplo only ones. Just prior to Marvel landing, I suspect we'll only have DC, Star Wars and Cars. And as far as licenses in general, I'm really excited about these and think they're going to sell boatloads.

Licenses are welcome and indeed needed for TLG to continue to do well, however I agree with those that say there are too many for 2012. I am excited, albeit causiously, and think the theme will be hit for the AFOL community but miss for kids IMO. Plenty of ucs (if they go for it) and minfig potensial for sure but I do not see popular playsets for LOTR's, the hobbit, maybe as more kid orientated, also need to see the films first to gauge the tone PJ will use as he may not aim the films at kids like the book. I am totally not sold on LOTR system playsets but let's see what 06/12 brings us as could be eating humble pie (and would happily). Also do not want to see on any level hogwarts or 7879 hoth echo base type stuff please LEGO. TLG has just got the biggest license since 99 I am sure the right resources or on it but this must not fail. Hopefully in ten years we will still be enjoying the rehashs of the same sets, a la SW ha ha.

LOTR is perhaps the first licence since Star Wars that justifies a $400 Ultimate set...

HP could have, and perhaps should have, given how popular it has been, but LOTR has been around for decades, it has staying power, it really should get equal billing next to SW.

What LOTR is missing, I'm afraid, are vehicles... My son loves the Star Wars vehicles and ships, the play sets not so much. Given the lack of ships and tanks and such for LOTR, they have to do the play sets right. That means big and detailed, so you can have proper pitched battles in them.

Why do some of you think they will sell loads of these sets? The Lord of the Ring movies were very long, not a simple story line, contained lots of scary monsters, and brooding characters.

I enjoyed the books, enjoyed the movies, and am looking forward to these sets, as someone who is in his 30s. But don't these need to need tons of kids begging their parents for them to sell palette loads?

Unlike Star Wars or even Ninjago, there is no cartoon tied to them that immerses kids in them every week. As someone mentioned above, there are not a ton of iconic vehicles. Even the sets we assume they will make will consist of: the top of a hill, a forest, a field, a swamp etc. Yes, there will be some cool castle based sets, and battle stuff, but how many different Helms Deep sets can they make?

This seems like another "dark" series, similar to Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes, it's 'popular,' but every kid at school doesn't have a LotR backpack as they do a Star Wars or Super Heroes backpack.

Both of these other franchises hook kids when they are super young and continue right through adulthood. They have lots of cartoons and movies to provide storylines, and machines working to pump out new characters, storylines, etc. Its not unlikely that your 8 year old will be eating a Superman branded or Captain Rex branded fruit snack. But I doubt that there will be a Frodo fruit snack anytime soon.

Also: this license has an expiration date that licenses with cartoons don't worry about as much. The new Hobbit movies will come and go in a couple years time. Then what?

Again - personally I am looking forward to these, but don't feel they have the same potential as other big themes LEGO will have over the next few years.

From the movies (which is where my knowledge of the stories come from, unfortunately) the means of transport I remember were Gandalf's carriage, the boat where the halflings escaped with, the boat that Aragorn and Legolas travelled with, the mercenary ships ( am I correct? Maybe another QAR-like ship in the making) those big mumakil, the eagles of Manwe, and the ships where the elves sailed back to their homeland.

Siege engines - towers and catapults and battering rams, wall sections with one trebuchet and five men of Gondor that 10-year-olds buy one of and adults 24 to make a complete circle, ents, nazgul mounts, Smaug, Shelob and oliphaunts you can build (wishful thinking), the ships of the men of the south, open walled buildings around a courtyard in Rivendell that can also work with multiple sets, Lothlorien could be done this way too. My husband is sure Helms Deep can be done in about a thousand pieces.

I think there's enough to make regular size sets. Not that I'd complain about UCS sets.

To be honest, I'm really not bothered about LOTR. I'm just sad that there's no more HP....

I agree I'm sad hp is more than likely gone I still feel there are a few more that they could have done. Especially as the dvd has not long been released??? But I'm still thrilled at the thought of lotr lego. I do doubt my five year old will be though.Neil

I don't think Kingdoms is on the way out though, as there hasn't been a January Castle release ever in my memory. I'm thinking we'll get more Kingdoms info at the Toy Fairs with the summer sets.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I really can't imagine any scenario where they release more Kingdoms sets to compete with LotR in June. They didn't do it with Pirates and I don't think they'll do it here. And to be honest, the fantasy Castle theme ended quite abruptly so I would guess the deal was struck back then.

The Kingdoms line was just a stopgap, a filler between Castle and LotR. IMO, it even felt like a last minute substitution as the sets were mostly rehashes and very uninspiring. The only thing I really liked was the MVR and this comes from someone who owns 2 of the Kingdom's castles!

The HP theme improved not quite to the mark, second time around IMO. I felt it deserved more time to develop despite Hagrid's Hut x3 and a cream and pea-green Hogwarts.

The one ring as a piece: If the teaser picture is honest, its possibly an actual chunky little gold chrome ring that can be just about held (usually fires out of MFs hand) but could clip firmly atop the entire hand. Im hoping it might clip on either the MF's finger or thumb (which is which?!) for typically chunky representation. In which case we'll be tying thread to it for safer keeping.